The present invention relates to a system for studying personnel movement for management applications. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for location based study of personnel movement using an article of footwear equipped with means for determining and selectively reporting the position of the footwear (and, therefore, the position of the personnel wearing the footwear) while maintaining the off-the-job privacy of the personnel whose on-the-job movements are the subject of location based human logistics study.
As used herein, “location based human logistics” is a term intended to relate to the reporting to management of the location of personnel whose job requires them to move throughout different geographical areas. By way of example, location based human logistics (“LBHL”) can be used to perform studies relating to the walking routes of mailmen employed by the United States Postal Service. Similarly, it can be used to perform studies relating to the movement of personnel employed at an amusement park or the location of ski patrolmen at a ski area. LBHL can also be employed to study the use of different routes by those involved in sales, political campaigns, or other route related activities.
Problems which have heretofore existed with respect to conducting LBHL studies include the difficulty in accurately collecting data associated with the tracking of the location of a number of individuals over time, and the collating and reporting of the that data in a manner which is both timely and accurate. While methods, including GPS tracking, can be (and have been) used to track and monitor the movements of personnel, problems with GPS tracking systems involve the difficulty of associating a unit with a person who is not in a vehicle on which the GPS tracking equipment can be mounted. An additional difficulty is that individuals, particularly when they are not actively “on the job” resent having their movements monitored, particularly if the GPS equipment is located on articles which they are required to carry or wear.
By providing a method for solving the foregoing problems an effective and efficient approach for providing LBHL could provide an effective management tool.